GEORGE E. B. HOLDING
CONTACT: 919/856-4530
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
CLAYTON PREDATOR SENTENCED TO 360 MONTHS IMPRISONMENT
FOR TRAFFICKING IN CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
RALEIGH - United States District Court Judge James C. Dever, III, today sentenced LARRY DOUGLAS STACY, 58, of Clayton, North Carolina to 360 months' (30 years') imprisonment for trafficking in child pornography. STACY pled guilty on May 15, 2006 to a five count indictment charging him with the transportation, receipt, and possession of child pornography, transportation of obscene materials over the Internet, and transportation of obscene matters over the Internet for distribution.
Investigators examining STACY's computer equipment discovered 838 still images and 74 video files showing the explicit sexual abuse of children. The images were predominantly of prepubescent children, ranging in age from 8 months to 14 years of age, and included images of at least 54 different children identified as known child sex abuse victims by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The pictures showed the children engaged in explicit sexual conduct. Also discovered were a large volume of internet "chat logs," the content of which showed the defendant engaged in a pattern of actively and repeatedly seeking to arrange to sexually abuse young children, including an approximately 12 year old girl who her custodian described as being disabled by multiple sclerosis. An impact statement from the mother of one of the children depicted in the images recovered from STACY's computers was read at sentencing, detailing the devastation that the child pornography market has inflicted on her daughter's life.
United States Attorney Holding applauded the sentence: "The evidence in this case demonstrates the sheer horror of crimes involving child exploitation. Larry Stacy's interest in child pornography fueled his desire to prowl the internet for victims. Every image of child pornography not only repeatedly victimizes the child depicted, but increases the likelihood that another child will become a victim." Holding also praised the extraordinary effort by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and its coordination with state and local authorities. "Neither federal nor state law enforcement can protect our families from child predators alone. This case demonstrates the outstanding results we can obtain only by working together, and that is the goal of Project Safe Childhood."
This case is part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative, a national program announced by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales aimed at ensuring that criminals exploiting children are effectively prosecuted by making full use of all available law enforcement resources at every level. For more information about this important national project, Project Safe Childhood, go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Investigation of the case was conducted by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a division of the Department of Homeland Security, United States Postal Inspection Service, along with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Johnston County District Attorney’s Office, and the Clayton Police Department. The Greensboro Police Department has also provided assistance in the ongoing search for the multiple sclerosis victim. Assistant United States Attorney Joe Exum, Jr. prosecuted the case for the United States.
News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s web page at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce within 48 hours of release.
